Electrical connector clip



I May 10, 1966 K. M. HAMMELL 3,251,022v

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CLIP Filed Aug. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1966 K.M. HAMMELL 3,251,022

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CLIP Filed Aug. 19 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I 1 I I l1 ii I I i: I I Ll 53 1 I l 11 /6 w: :1 40/ *2 i i 55 1 34 $1 II V v I72' I I! v. 35 I v I I f 60 h "M i l t II I 26 i 42 50 5/ United StatesPatent 3,251,022 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR CLIP Kemper M. Hammell, 5340Windsor Road, Harrisburg, Pa. Filed Aug. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 303,440 1Claim. (Cl. 339-97) This invention relates to an improved electricalconnector clip or terminal clip of the general type disclosed in US.application Serial Number 171,074, filed February 5, 1962.

An object of this invention is to provide an'inexpensive and simpleconnector clip which is particularly effective and reliable inelectrically connecting stranded wire to a terminal post.

Another object is to provide a connector clip which fits with greatprecision on a terminal post regardless of minor dimensional variations.

. A further object is to provide a clip which gives a connection highlyimmune to damage to itself, to another clip connection on the same post,or to wires in the vicinity of .the post.

These and other objects will in part be understood from and in partpointed out in the following description. In the above-identified patentapplication there is disclosed an entirely new system wherein a wire iselectrically connected to a terminal post by means of a clip-likeconnector. This connecter is applied in a unique, single strokeoperation to the wire and terminal, the connector being slid axiallyonto the end of the terminal post and, in the process, dragging thewireunder the connector and along the post. This operation removes or breaksaway any insulation on the portion of the wire under the connector andestablishes an intimate, metal-to-metal contact between wire and post.

'Where a stranded wire is being connected to a post by a clip inaccordance with the system described above, the individual strands ofthe wire have a tendency to spread apart or splay under the clip andthereby cause a faulty connection. The present invention provides aconnector clip which effectively bunches the strands of a stranded Wireand insures consistently perfect connections between wire and post.

To make multiple connections on a given post, two or more clips and therespective wires beneath them are stacked in sequence on the post. Noweach clip is, in actual practice, driven at high speed (faster than theeye can follow) onto the post. As a consequence, a clip in the course ofsliding onto the post is moving so fast that it can slash through theinsulation of a wire which happens to lie near or against the base ofthe post. Also, where one clip is already on the post, the second mayslam into it and push it forward. The present invention provides a cliphaving a configuration which minimizes the chance of damage to itself,to a previous clip on the post, or to a nearby connecting wire, when aconnection is being made.

In accordance with the invention, in one specific embodiment thereof,the top web of a channel-shaped clip is formed with a concavely roundedcenter portion extending along the axis of the clip. This rounded partof the web serves to bunch or focus the strands of a stranded Wire intoa substantially solid whole and thereby insure that a proper connectionis made between wire and post. By preventing the splaying of the Wirestrands beneath itself, this clip is able consistently to deform thewire a predetermined amount and to hold it against the post with thedesigned holding force. As a result, connections made with this new clipand stranded wire are uniformly as good and reliable as connections madewith a solid wire and a clip having a fiat web. Of course, this new clipis able to handle solid wire as easily and as well as it does strandedwire.

The front of the clip is provided with extended side walls which projectbeyond the main. body of the clip and serve as bumpers when the clip isdriven against the rear of another clip on a a post. This minimizes thedanger of one clip damaging another. To keep each clip preciselycentered on a post, the side walls of the clip near the front and rearedges have shallow dimples which extend inward and which slide lightlyalong the side faces of the post. These four dimplesprevent the clipfrom skewing as it moves along the post and give very accurate seatingof the clip on the post.

The front part of the top Web of the clip is formed into two speciallyshaped, struck-up tabs which engage the insulation on a wire just abovethe point where the bare end of the wire passes beneath the web of theclip and is ironed against the post. These insulation tabs are able toaccommodate a wide range of insulation thicknesses without affecting theseating of the clip on the post. In previous clips when the insulationwas too thick, it lifted the front end of the clip from the post andgave an imperfect connection. The shape and position of the tabs on thisnew clip are further designed to prevent their cutting into theinsulation of the wire being held by the clip or of other wires in thevicinity.

A better understanding of the invention together with a fullerappreciation of its many advantages will best be gained from thefollowing description given in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of an electrical terminal post with twoclips and their respective wires stacked on the post,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of two clips embodying theinvention and shown here in end-toend continuous strip relation,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged end ing a wire to a post,

SIGURE 4 is a top view of the clip in FIGURE 3, an

FIGURE 5 is a side view of the clip and post.

The multiple electrical connection 10 shown in FIG- URE 1 includes along, thin metal post- 12 which .projects from a base panel 14. Postssuch as this one are standard in the industry. Mounted on the post is afirst connector clip or terminal clip 16 which has been slid axiallyfrom the top of the post toward the base by means of a tool such asdisclosed in the above-identified patent application. In the course ofbeing applied to the post, the clip picks up the end'of an insulatedwire 18, the end of which is then stripped of insulation, drawn underthe web of the clip and then ironed against the post. When only a singleclip is put on the post, the final position of the clip is normallysomewhat higher relative to panel 14 than is shown in FIGURE 1. Here,however, a second clip 20, and its wire 22 have been-applied to thepost. In the course of being seated clip 20 has bumped against clip 16and driven it down about half a clip length. It will be noted that bothclips remain properly aligned and engaged on the post and that wire 22has not been damaged by the rear end of clip 16.

Both clips 16 and 20 are of course identical and were formed from acontinuous strip of metal, such as brass, by means of a progressive dieof suitable'configuration. Clips 16 and 20 in continuous end-to-endrelation are shown in FIGURE 2. Clip 16 was previously joined to a clipahead of it (not shown), whereas the rear of clip 16 is shown stilljoined at points 26 and 28 to the front part of clip 20. Clip 16 wassheared or torn from clip 20 at these points in the course of beingapplied to post 12, and similarly clip 20 was separated from the clipbehind it.

view of a clip connect- As seen best in FIGURES 3, 4 and 5, clip 16 (andclip 20) is generally channel shaped. The clip has a top web 30, twoside walls 32 and 34, and two curled-over legs 36 and 38. The latterresiliently engage the underside of post 12, and except for the lightcontact at the dimpled areas of the side walls are the only portions ofthe clip which engages the post. The spring action of these legstogether with a controlled deformation of web 30 permit the clip to beused with a wide range of wire sizes.

Web 30 as seen in FIGURE 3 is convexly bowed in its center part 40 forthe full length of the web, as seen in FIGURE 4, this convexly bowedcenter forming an axially extending trough on the Web. The radius ofcurvature of bowed part 40 is designed so that the inner face of the webwill bunch the individual strands of a stranded wire into a packedbundle beneath the clip and prevent splaying. Thus stranded wire behavesas though it were solid, and consistently perfect connections areassured. A single clip is able to handle a range of wire sizes. Forexample, a clip having an outside width of 0.092 inch, a length of 0.212inch, and other dimensions substantially to the scale shown in FIGURES3, 4 and 5, is able to handle A.W.G. Nos. 22, 24 and 26 stranded, andNos. 20, 22 and 24 solid wires. To handle smaller wires, the radius ofcurvature of bowed portion 40 would be suitably reduced.

As seen in FIGURES 4 and 5, side walls 32 and 34 haveforward noses 42and 44 which project well beyond the main body of the clip and serve asbumpers when a second clip, such as clip 20 in FIGURE 1 slams againstclip 16. These side walls are dimpled in areas 50, 51, 52 and 53, attheir front and rear edges to provide light engagement with the sides ofa post (see FIGURE 3) and thereby insure that the clip is properlyaligned on the post. The front, top edge and bottom edge of each noseare rounded and tapered as shown in FIGURE so that the clip will not cutthrough the insulation of a wire perchance lying in the path of theclip, but will cam the wire out of the way. In order to lock the wireend beneath it to the clip the inner face of web 30, as seen in FIGURE5, is serrated along transverse lines 55.

The front part of top web 30 has a pair of struck-up tabs 60 and 62which, as seen in FIGURE 3, provide a somewhat bell-shaped mouth 64 forengaging the insulation of a wire. The very tops of these tabs arecurved slightly inward and their front corners are flared out at 66 and68 respectively. The turning back of these sharp corners permits thewire held by the clip to be dressed either to one side of the clip orthe other and further minimizes the danger of the clip cutting intoother wires.

Behind tabs 60 and 62 is a tongue 70 which is bent up from the bowedpart 40 of web 30. This tongue provides a tapered entrance for a wire toextend back beneath the web and against the post. On each side of tongue70 are the small areas 72 and 74 which, as seen in FIGURE 5, are bentdown to give, as seen in FIGURE 3, the sharp knife edges 76 and 78. Thelatter, when a clip is being applied to a post by a tool as described inthe above-mentioned patent application, insure that the insulation onthe end of the wire is thoroughly stripped off before the metal of thewire is drawn under the web of the clip. Thorough stripping of the wireis important here since otherwise the insullation material, such asplastic vinyl, may lodge between web 30 and the post and prevent properdeformation of the wire metal against the post.

The drawings of FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 show the shape and various featuresof clip 16 substantially to scale.

The above description is intended in illustration and not in limitationof the invention. Various minor changes in the embodiment illustratedmay occur to those skilled in the art and can be made without departingfrom the spirit or scope of the invention as set forth.

I claim:

A terminal clip for making clip-type electrical connections between aconductor and a terminal post, said clip comprising a web portion and apair of sidewalls, said sidewalls being reversely curled inwardlytowards each otherand towards said web whereby, said clip is adapted tobe telescopically moved onto said post, said web being outwardly bowedalong substantially its entire length as viewed in transversecross-section to form an axially extending trough on said web, saidtrough functioning to gather and bunch the strands of a stranded wire,while said clip is being moved onto a post and is dragging a wire onto apost, and said trough functioning to hold said strands against said postin a packed bundle after application of said clip to said post, saidsidewalls extending axially beyond said web at corresponding ends toprovide bumpers for engagement with a previously applied terminal clipvon a post, each of said sidewalls having at least two spaced-apartinwardly directed dimples to maintain said clip in coaxial relationshipto a post after application.

References Cited by the Examiner I UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,134,77511/1938 Bergan 339- X 2,279,173 4/ 1942 McCutcheon 339-221 X 2,494,1371/1950 Martines 29155.55 2,778,097 1/1957 Berg 29-193.5 2,780,794 2/1957Cresson 339276 2,871,551 2/1959 Harris 29193.5 2,888,662 5/1959 Hammell339-276 X 3,040,150 6/1962 Rueger 33995 X 3,104,927 9/1963 Cargill et al339256 3,110,329 11/1963 Lhomme et al 33997 X 3,122,604 2/1964 Cook etal 339-256 FOREIGN PATENTS 239,124 6/1962 Australia. 1,345,456 10/1963France.

777,677 6/ 1957 Great Britain.

PATRICK A. CLIFFORD, Primary Examiner.

W. DONALD MILLER, Examiner.

